Audio Tips

In an effort to get back to our core values, we wanted to find a way to give back. We love to help people out by sharing our knowledge and experience. We at Gigantic feel that we have been so lucky to be able to work in such an amazing industry. We are always trying to learn and grow along with the industry, and we are also trying to pass along what we know to the next generation. From basic info to more complex or technical discussions, we hope you will find something to spark your creativity and bring a new outlook to your projects.

We had a chance to talk with Tracy W. Bush, audio director at Sphero, and get details on how he created the emotional language for Sphero's newest and hottest line of Star Wars toys. Tracy Bush is a seasoned industry… more>>

Thanks for agreeing to this interview. Would you tell us when you figured out that you wanted to make sounds and music for a living? It didn't happen overnight. I've been making noise and playing games my whole life and never planned to do it for a living. It’s something I… more>>

Can you convert 88.2 kHz samples to 44.1 kHz by skipping every other sample? Instead of theorizing about whether this works, let’s actually try this in real life! To start with, let’s go to AudioCheck.net and get a test tone… more>>

This picture was taken about a month ago. It was the last time I got to see Jory. Many others have already spoken well about him. Jory taught mostly by example. Jory never wrote the following rules down, as far as… more>>

Two women are watching an organ grinder. The organ grinder wheezes music while a monkey in a red hat ambles from foot to foot. One woman says, “That monkey dances badly.” The other woman says, “It’s not that the monkey… more>>

The right business card can help you get work for yourself or for your company. It can help remind someone that they want to work with you. This can be especially helpful at trade shows and conferences, where there is an endless stream… more>>

The year is 2030. A large Japanese electronics company has just come out with a new television: the UltraStarNavTV. And this television is so advanced that it now generates light in the spectrum from 400 nm to 10 nm. And the marketing flyers… more>>

Caution! This article contains some very loud, mathematically synthesized tones that may damage speaker equipment if played at excessive levels. Check your playback levels before playing the sounds in this article. Here is a 440 Hz test tone for you: One… more>>

Here is a well-known fact about me: I love Batman. In Batman Beyond, one of his enemies is a sound designer. No, I'm not kidding. His name is Shriek; his principal weapon is sound. He has the ability to enhance or dampen any type of… more>>

Sound effects are also really well done and the plethora of small noises and big ones all work together to have you so paranoid you won’t want to leave your fighting stance. Sound: 95/100.

TalkXbox

Varantic allowed us to generate… unique variations… that sounded completely fresh and natural

Richard Ludlow, Audio Director at Hexany Audio

I want to put Varantic on a f***ing alien right now!

Michael Csurics, Voice Director/Writer/Sound Artist

The audio is amazing, setting the whole world alive with the slavering of monsters, the clattering of bumped obstacles, and unsettling ambient drones that seem to come from inside your own head. I lost track of the number of times I found myself perched on the edge of a couch cushion.

GamePro

[Varantic] enables me to iterate sounds at the click of a button, without ever opening my DAW.

Robert Rice, Technical Sound Designer at VRWERX

I was able to generate the hundreds of sounds I needed based on the 40 seconds of audio

Tracy Bush, Audio Director at Sphero

The sound effects are topnotch and work well with the atmosphere of the game. Sound: 4.5 out of 5.

Cheat Code Central

My experience with Varantic was so gratifying. Rather than going through a DAW pipeline of numerous steps, Varantic allowed me be to the efficient and creative audio chemist that I always dreamed of being.

Chase Bethea, Sound Designer

The audio is excellent, with a wonderfully moody score, and especially spooky ambient noises and creature effects.